The present invention relates to a customer-dedicated energy management apparatus for controlling the power consumption amount of such a customer as building into a target value by adjusting the air-conditioning of the customer.
If the power demand increases steeply because of such occasions as an increase in the air conditioner's temporary usage due to severely hot weather, there sometimes occurs a shortage of the power-supplying capability. In that case, countermeasures are sometimes taken to suppress the power consumption of the customer temporarily.
For example, as one method of such countermeasures, a utility enterpriser in the state of California of the United States offers a customer-dedicated program which is referred to as “Demand Response”. This program includes several types. For example, a program referred to as “Critical Peak Pricing (CPP)” functions as follows: Incidentally, this program is the technology described in Critical Peak Pricing Program (CPP). [retrieved on Jun. 5, 2009]. Retrieved from the Internet: <URL: http://www.pge.com/mybusiness/energysavingsrebates/demandresponse/cpp/>.
Namely, a participant into this program makes a contract with the utility enterpriser in advance. Then, the participant receives the application of a preferential price in which the electric amount unit-price is set at an inexpensive rate. The utility enterpriser everyday determines whether or not the next day should be set as being a CPP event day. If the next day is determined as being the CPP event day, by the time of its previous day, the utility enterpriser notifies the participant that the next day is the CPP event day.
Next, the electric amount unit-price during an on-peak time-zone (i.e., 12:00 to 18:00) of the CPP event day is set at an expensive rate. On the participant side, a countermeasure is taken to suppress the power consumption amount by suppressing the usage of electric appliances during the on-peak time-zone of the CPP event day, e.g., by raising the setting temperature of an air conditioner. This countermeasure is taken in order to avoid the electric-price increase during the on-peak time-zone of the CPP event day, and to ensure the merit of an annual electric-price reduction brought about from the application of the preferential price during the other times.
In this CPP event, however, the adjustment of the electric-appliances usage on the participant side depends entirely on the manpower. This fact requires that, every time the CPP event occurs, this adjustment be made by taking advantage of the manpower. Accordingly, there has existed a problem that the operation to be done on the participant side is troublesome, and that an uncertainty about the power-consumption suppressing behavior becomes a matter of apprehension.
In view of this situation, a program which is referred to as “Auto Demand Response (Auto-DR)” has been offered. In this program referred to as Auto-DR, the processing ranging from the delivery of the CPP event to the electric-appliances control is automated as follows: Incidentally, this processing is described in Automated Demand Response Program. [retrieved on Jun. 5, 2009]. Retrieved from the Internet: <URL: http://www.pge.com/mybusiness/energysavingsrebates/demandresponse/adrp/>. Namely, on the utility enterpriser side, a server is set up which is designed for delivering a CPP event signal for notifying the participant side of the CPP event day via a communications infrastructure. Simultaneously, on the participant side, a device for receiving the CPP event signal is set up. Also, a system is set up which is designed for controlling the electric appliances in response to the CPP event signal, and in accordance with a CPP-event-addressing control logic determined in advance.